Create or Update a Service Authorization

A Service Authorization is the approved amount of Full or Part-time days a client is eligible to receive child care assistance, also called a care schedule. The Service Authorization is created for a specific provider(s) over the eligibility time period. After eligibility for a child is confirmed, the next step is to create a service authorization to authorize care for the child for the duration of the case.

Process Steps:

1. Review the Service Authorization page.
   
2. All providers documented on the Child Care Arrangement page display in the Provider drop-down menu. Select the provider to associate to the service authorization.
   • After selecting a provider, the provider's Address, Status and Federal Employee Identification Number (FEIN) display on the page.
3. Once you select a provider, the Child drop-down is populated with the children approved for care. Select the child to associate to the service authorization.
4. Click the Yes or No radio button in the Provider Signature Present field to record if the provider's signature is present on the application.
   • You can click the Provider Notes hyperlink to navigate to the Provider Notes page for the provider selected in the drop-down menu. On the Provider Notes page you can view notes written by other caseworkers about the provider's record.
5. All of the eligible children on the case display in the Child drop-down menu. Select the child to associate to the service authorization.
   • After selecting a child, the Child's Status and Date of Birth (DOB), and Child Care Start Date display on the page.
6. Scroll to the Provider Rate section of the page.
   
7. The daily rates for the selected provider display in this section. These are the rates documented on the Provider Location Rates page when the provider record is created in CCMS. You can type in the rates box to override the rates, but the amount cannot be greater than the state maximum or the amount documented on the Provider Location Rates page.
8. Scroll to the last section of the page and click on the Weekly or Monthly tab.
   
9. Each week/month included in the Eligibility Status Start and End date for the child is displayed on the page. Next to each care level, select the number of days each month the child is authorized for care from the drop-down menus.
   • After documenting the first week/month of care, you can click [Copy] to copy the care schedule for the remaining eligible months. This will copy the number of days authorized in the column across the rest of the columns.
10. Document the number of days each week/month the child is authorized for care for the entire service period.
11. Click [Save] to save the authorization schedule.
12. Repeat this process for all service authorizations for the case. This process must be repeated for each child that is approved and each provider which will be providing care.
    • CCMS will not allow users to create overlapping service authorizations (two authorizations with same or overlapping start and end dates for the same provider/child combination).
    • In addition, for children six years and older, CCMS automatically defaults to school age days or part-days eligible for the months of September through May for licensed homes and centers.

Results of the Procedure:

A Service Authorization is created for an all eligible children on the case.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How are the providers which display in the provider drop down menu determined
   1. The providers found in the Provider drop-down menu are displayed from information recorded on the Child Care Arrangement page.
2. Do I need to enter a record on both the Weekly and Monthly tab?
   1. Yes, document both a weekly and monthly care schedule for the provider/child. The records on these tabs are not connect to each other.